Is my commute do-able in the iMiev?

[tenortodd]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to electric cars. I've been looking at them for years, but they were always too expensive.

Now, with the current offer that puts the iMiev at $15k to buy, I think my family can do it!

The iMiev is perfect for my commute...but I think it's range is just ever so slightly too limited for me to purchase

I live in the suburbs of the metro-DC area. I work in DC. My commute length is 33 miles over flat land and slight hills.

That would be 66 miles round trip. There are no charging stations anywhere near my work.

If I drive in regenerative braking mode, would I recoup enough power to make it to work each day?

I am planning on driving parallel to the highway on a stop-and-go 45 mph road with lots of traffic lights.

The other problem is the DC traffic. Some days my 45 minute commute becomes 2 1/2 hours because of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Is my 66 mile commute too much for the i-Miev?

Thanks for any and all thoughts.

I'd really love to have one...but I think we're just slightly out of the safe zone.

 

[Don]

Where do you park? Unless you can get near a 120 volt outlet where you park the car, I suspect 66 miles is too far for it to be a reliable commute . . . . especially in the winter when it's 30 degrees outside or in the summer when it hits 90 degrees - Extensive use of the climate controls affects your range

You don't really need a 'charging station' but if you could arrange to be able to plug into a standard 120 volt outlet where you park the car, you could certainly do most anything you need with the car. If you can't plug in where you currently park, I'd explore other options to see if you can't find something better . . . . even if you had to pay a bit more

Don

 

[RobertC]

Your new 2014 i-MiEV will be equipped with a DC quick charge port.
A 5, 10, or 15 minute stop on your way home at any of these DC quick charger locations, as shown on the PlugShare app, would make your commute do-able.

I would recommend visiting any of these locations you might use before you purchase the i-MiEV to check pricing and availability. Some of these chargers are at Nissan dealerships.

 

[tenortodd]

Thanks for the quick responses! I'm in Stafford and my commute is down I-95... There are no quick charge stations in that area. (except for a Tesla one which isn't compatible). There's a Nissan dealership less than a mile from my work but it doesn't have quick charge capability. I think I'm out of luck, my commute is just a little bit too far for the I-miev (with no quick chargers around).

 

[JoeS]

tenortodd, don't give up quite yet! Explore the surroundings where you park - if in a garage, there are invariably 120v outlets scattered around and you simply need to work with the owners to secure their regular use. Nowadays, a lot of commercial outfits are trying to establish their "green" credentials, so that might help. Of course, offer to pay for the few kWh you would consume daily. Another alternative is to work something out with a private residence in the area. They will welcome a few bucks and you will still be big $ ahead of commuting in a gasmobile. Finally, work the issue with your workplace - they may be under some pressure to show they're doing something for the environment. Again, all you need is a 120vac outlet for about three hours to be comfortable.

Amazing how many people think we're drawing huge gobs of power from the grid! Show everyone the math: 33miles/4.2miles/kWhr = 8kWhr. At ten cents/kWh that means 80cents worth of electricity - thus, $2/day would be fair remuneration. The 4.2cents/kWh is my own personal consumption average based on 8000miles of meticulous datakeeping.

Recognize that you CAN make the round trip without recharging, but you definitely don't want to be that strapped down as a regular commuter - as Don pointed out, climate control is the biggest range killer (after high speed).

 

[tenortodd]

My surroundings are not good...no power anywhere near the parking lot we use. No residential neighborhood to use their driveway and power. The closest thing is the Nissan dealer one mile away...but I would have to leave my car there all day, plugged in and taking up one of the 2 plug in power slots...I'm sure that's not ok...

I considered the Volt for awhile, but we could only afford a used 2011...and that would still be at the top of our price range (around $20k)...and it would already be out of warranty, so expensive things could begin to go wrong with the battery and electric components.

 

[Vike]

I hate to pour any more cold water on this, but you also need to consider the way that battery packs degrade over time. The i-MiEV has not been associated with the sort of horror stories we've had with Arizona LEAFs, but there's no question that the battery pack will lose 10-20% of its capacity during your ownership of it, especially being fully charged/discharged as it would be for the daily commute you describe.

Yes, the heater would make a very big difference, especially if you combine cold weather with stopped traffic extending your time in the car to two hours or more - that is way too long to be running a cabin heater, so you'd have to learn to get by with just the seat heater and a good jacket (plus earmuffs?). All things considered, I don't think I'd be comfortable recommending a LEAF or i-MiEV for your use case unless you had access to charging while at work.

 

[tenortodd]

Thanks for all the help...I guess we'll go back to looking at cars in the 30mpg range...we can't afford a Prius or a hybrid-electric...

 

[tenortodd]

If only I lived 10-15 miles closer!!

 

[PV1]

66 miles is doable. I drive similar roads here just south of Pittsburgh. I've done 77 miles on one charge, but that was pushing it slightly.

Also, you can pick up a Kill a Watt meter if you want to meter usage, to prove how little energy cost there is. This may help in gaining access to a plug. The standard cord pulls 8 amps from a regular 120 volt outlet.

I drove my i-MiEV to a local amusement park, which really stretched my round trip range (there and back without charging). We called them the night before and asked if I could charge, and they said yes. When we arrived, we talked with their electrician and security guards, and they allowed me to park in the VIP lot (where the outlet is), FOR FREE and charge. So, just asking is definitely worth a try. Turns out that I needed the charge to make it. I forget the distance, but it was pretty far in the rain with the three of us.

You could use the Nissan unit, then move your car at lunchtime, or vice versa. What's the name of the Nissan dealer?

 

[PV1]

Pohanka Nissan south of Stafford has a quick charger. If this is the Nissan dealer by your workplace, you could stop here for 10 minutes and regain enough charge to comfortably finish your commute.

 

[tenortodd]

Again, thanks everyone for being so helpful.

I commute from stafford into Alexandria each day. The stafford area Nissan dealer with the quick charger is 20 miles in the opposite direction of my commute. The Nissan dealer near my work is in Alexandria, but only offers level 2 charging. If they had high speed, I could top off there every morning and never worry. But they don't. As far as I can see, there are no quick charge stations anywhere along my commute. It's sad...there are tons of car dealers on route 1...you'd think some of them would have charging stations...

 

[PV1]

I'd keep on working to see if an outlet or charging station can be installed in the lot or someplace nearby. I'd also petition the Nissan dealer about a quick charger, they may be installing one in the future.

If you want to jump into an EV now, maybe look for a used LEAF, as they do get better range (probably just enough to work for your commute) than the i-MiEV.

 

[Don]

If only I lived 10-15 miles closer!!

You just need to search out a better place to park . . . . somewhere you can use a 120 volt outlet. You might have to walk an extra couple blocks, but if you really want an EV then it will be worth the time and trouble of finding a charging solution which will allow you to use it for your daily commute

The best, most reliable 'solutions' are ones where you aren't dependent on having to use some public charge point every single day - What are you going to do when it's got 3 or 4 cars waiting to use it when you pull up to charge? . . . . or when it's out of order for a week or two?

Find a new place to park where you can charge while you're at work

Where there's a will, there's usually a way . . . . if you look for it

Don